Automatic train-pipe coupling



Nov. 4, 1930. c. E. PHARO AUTOMATIC TRAIN P IPE COUPLING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1926 Nov. 4, 1930.

c. E. PHARO 1,780,795

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22,1926

Nov.4,

c. E. PHARC 1,780,795

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING Filed June 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a BI /Zara Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES CHARLES Ei rimn or con'rrzz, COLORADO AUTOMATTC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING Application filed June 22,

This invention relates to a coupling for automatically connecting and establishing communication between the air and steam pipes of railway cars during the coupling of the cars, and includes among its objects the provision of improved means for coupling steam and other pipes of railway cars; the provision of means such that the coupling of train pipes may be accomplished automatically and without intervention of a brakeman or other train man; and such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what is now believed to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire this disclosure to be construed as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated what is now considered the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an air and steam pipe coupling constructed inaccord- V cessesv9 wh ch are formedintheinner lateral ance with my invention, v-

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, illustrating the cou pling applied to two railway cars, Figure 8 is a View in front elevation of one section of the coupling,

Figure t'is a bottom plan'view of the coupling, V at Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 66 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated by the line 7 -7 of Figure2, i

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the vertical planeindicated by the -line-8-8 of Figure 7, and a i e- Figure 9 is a detail view in end elevation of the valve for the air and steam pipes.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated 1926. Serial No. 117,783.:

in the several views of the accompanying drawings by similar reference characters. 1 Referring more in detail to the accompany ing drawings, 1 designates the adjacent'end portions of two railway cars and 2 the outer 5 5 and 3 the inner longitudinal beams of the cars; The coupling ofthis invention, as illustrated in the present drawings, includes heads 4 which are adapted to be brought'into-interengagingcondition during the coupling of the 69 cars 1 and held in such engagementby means ofpins 5, extensionsor flanges 6 and ribs 7, after the cars have been coupled; Remote lateral sides of the headed are forwardly and inwardly inclined, and the heads are provided near their other lateral sides with longitudinally extending openings 8. The ribs 7 which taper forwardly, are formed'on the inclined sides of the heads 4, and the pins 5 extend for i 'wardly from the'forwarde'nds of theribs 7 and enter the openings 8in" the heads 4. f'The extensionso project forwardly from, said other sides of; the heads 4 and have forwardly inclined inner lateral sides which-contact with the inclined sides of the heads. 5 The ribs 7 have a snug lit in correspondingly shaped resides of the flanges 6 and communicate at their lnner ends with the openings 8. The for- I wardly and outwardly inclined "bottom, and

the rearwardly converging side walls ofthe recesses 9 guide the pins 5'into the openings 8 while the cars 1 are'beingcoupled. When the heads 4 are in interlocking engagement they are held against any Ifelativevhorizontal or vertical movement, and'they will, readily separate after the ears l'have been uncoupled. The heads 4 aresupported from the cars 1 by brackets 10' which are secured to the beams 8 by bolts 11' and are held against casual movement with respect to the carsby brace rods v12. The rods 12 are secured-as at 13 to the beams 2and as at l ltothe brack etslO. The brackets10-coniprise vertical rearward rods 15 and Vertical forward rods g 16 each pair of which areconnec'ted'at their upper and lower ends by crossedbrace rods 17. Horizontal cross vpleces .18fand 19, and.

horizontal side pieces 20. .are secured to the 7 lower ends of the rods 15. and .16. The cross transverse center of said cross pieces.

pieces 18 are provided with angular recesses 21' which have their apexes located at the The heads 4 rest upon the cross pieces 18and are provided With downwardly extending lugs 22 Which are angular in cross section and normally occupythe' ape Qi he r ces es 2. The eads4an 1 th L IZ t 24la d'25 c rried thereby are yieldingly held in contact with the cross pieces 18 and '19 by springs 26 Which are mounted uponthe hfiilari d 16 between stops 27 carried by saidj rods I pressure rods 28 and 29'slidab1y1nounte d on 7 said rods and contacting respectivelyv with it the parts 23land 25. The heads 4 areyieldr s: .16 mods 82: 1-13 p ov ded: wi h- Ward; end tenuouspon w ich s irla ly m nte aml re ken-t mm. be ng?- W- thdraw he rom y n ts. 33iwh ehtetter; may b ju t ry 'the s ne r the sp i eg 3 T pa 25 hreededtrea pas i heqtgh 'Qpe-A -ss .4 n; gu co ie-e ateral 3-5 w th resp cttsiw he ers Lin or er to pne e t resp t: t i aid' g d -i neetect to the fq sly andere epe t1 w ns ilg deble; roo keb e m v m n s wit lh he ds nd th pet seanriiedat en y e-efippo tted W Lengitu i a move en Ih i nQQSs eZ ,lHge Z;a p n s I mel yx et in the he ds 4 at th ong-the Qent notthecars. L-HIlQ J FQ lT l torsiich. position; immediately after the premtva z the.tq ei s;ther su t o wh ch hey wer meme r m, u h pos m i ect l 'ia e acaein s e en 'cconnept d'tet e de 4 by 0 m theheadsie andmm a ewit axialopem e fi ef heat er-e SeeEiai) T -W ied zwfi r a ep edto bfiqnl ected, to th no 'hqwng iz he-ca s 1 y hose pa t i2 l ..ch a "a1s of holl w y i d e1 io' imati m a -ad ptedfie be ans a at le eemrip s,n t hemt ii-t ee ll Wh se 38:, eh wa e thr a d. n t e e ds: 'Qfth per ef wh hc onstitut iheieasing fi em cyl 1 r r or Y ups 3 5 n'i the 7 y ind r 24 arerconn ct d t h cy inders: Zeb-y" c ampsa-ea, h ng -23 a, a epnoyi..ded with an ular e ies-- nec sses 4i: centainz ofwhich ate adapted. to 'neeeiiv pins 42; ancl-43z carried; respectively; by the.

heads4an'd-cl'amps3g; The cylindens24 and are. provided: with 1 annular series i of: re

cesses -44 certaingo-f which are-iada-pted to longitudinalnioyernentsbof secured to the cars and Will receive pins 45 carried by the clamps Should those partsrof the casings 23 with Which the bars 29 contact ear fiat, the easings and the cylinders 24 may be turned to presentother parts of the casings 23 for con tact by the bars 29, and this may be readily doneafter first loosening or removing the clamps 39- andi 40; The pins on the clanips 39 and 40 and on the heads 4 hold the casings 23andcylinders 24 and 25 against casual rot auon.

Theheads ,4 and casings 23 are provided With rubber" gaskets 46 (see Figs. 5 and?) which; 'are securedin place by ring nuts 47 and which, Whentlie parts of the coupling are ime qgagem t, es abli h eakproef connectibnsbet een t e-heads 4 and; betweenthe casing The gaskets 46am prev lded w t axiah openings, 48 hichestablish communi- I cation between the heads4 and? between the 9asings=23and through whic the forward ends ofvalvezsterns=49 pass; The sten1s4 9 are-(carried by vanebodies Oj whieh ar threaded in the" openings of; the heads 4 'andrin the; casings 23, and; are provided-at their inner ends, with seats 51 for the valves carried by the stems; The ivalv s 52: are normally held seated by SpIl1;1gS;53 Whichare mounted: on. the stems 49ib'etwe n the-waives and guides 54 removably arried-warms 5,5 extending rearwardly from the bodies Theaother ends of the rods; 49;:a're/ provided parts. of thewcoupl in-g alfe engagement; and duetheret'o; the Valvesv 52 are held un'seated thesteam-1'and:airpipesrofthecans1;; i

. with heads 56; which are in; contact- When. the r :imo and communication; 'isiestablished between v From the -'f1oregoingclescrigption ltaken in connectionnwith theaccompanying;drawings, J c

"its

itshouldrbe apparent-thattheheadse will be brought into; interengagingy connection durr ing the coupling of the :carsl, V't-hatwhen they are;1n;suchlconnection;leakrproof connections 'al1e estahlishedzbetween: themfand between a the casings- 2.3;andthat, also-When they n; such connection the: wives 52 aregun'seated' and communication ..i st.established;- between also be understood that the coupling heads 4sjarelso supported on theears last to prevent qrelatixze moyement of:theilatterfrom separat theai-r andsteampipesgofthe car's-5} It; should ing' or imparting'injury' to the heads. and" parts c'afrnied thereby, that the spnings 58' wn-1- sejat thebvalyesfl52"ianniediatelyion,theV

uncoupling and separation'of thefcars and "steam," andwthaa the deviceqrna-y be readily with the1coulp'ling; of-the Flatter; 'Z 1:

'llZh-ilel have describedithe r -ppin'ciplesof op: eration of the invention;'togetherfwithfthe structure WhichI' now consider toberthe-best embodiment thereof, I desire toll'aye it:- jun:- .derstoodi that; the: device shown is; meliely fil-lustrfatiye, andthat such-,chang'es'niaybe as. the result pneventjthe escape of air and;

not ;;interf,ere

made when desired as are within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. An automatic train pipe coupling comprising vertical forward bars and vertical rearward bars, a horizontalcross piece secured to the forward bars, a horizontal cross piece secured to the rearward bars, a head resting upon said first cross piece, a cylinder carried by the head and resting upon said second cross piece, a valve carried by the head, a pressure bar slidably mounted on the forward bars and contacting with the head, a pressure bar slidably mounted on the rearward bars and contacting with the cylinder, springs mounted upon the rods and bearing upon the'pressure bars, and crossed braces connected to the upper and lower ends of the forward and rearward bars at opposite sides of the head and cylinder.

2. An automatic train pipe coupling comprising heads, each head having one of its sides forwardly and inwardly inclined and provided adjacent its other lateral side with a longitudinally extending opening, an extension projecting forwardly from the last mentioned side of the head and having its inner side forwardly and outwardly inclined, the projection of one head contacting w1th the inclined side of the other head and provided in its inner side with a recess communicating with the opening in the head, a forwardly tapering rib on the inclined lateral side of each head, the rib of one head fitting snugly in the recess of the extension of the other head, and a pin extending forwardly from the forward end of each rib, the pin of the rib of one head fitting in the opening of the other head. i

3. In a structure for the purpose stated, a

pair of pipe connecting heads, each having a longitudinally apertured body, having a forward face and lateral walls, and each body having one lateral wall receding from the longitudinal axis of the head, in a direction backwardly from the forward face of the head, the opposite lateral wall of the body being extended forwardly from the bodyand receding laterally away from the axis .of the body, the two lateral walls of each head cooperating with the complementary walls of the other head.

4:. In a coupling, a body having a longitudinal aperture for the passage of fluid under pressure, said body having a forward face disposed transversely of. the longitudinal axis of the coupling to cooperate with a corresponding face of a like coupling member, and having a lateral face flaring away from the axis of the body at parts more remote from said forward face, said lateral face hav- 7 ing a tapered rib extending therealong, said rib being narrower at its forward end and wider at its rearward end, the opposite lateral wall of the body being extended forwardly and flared laterally away from the axis of the body and having a tapering prising a head, means for supporting the head from a car, a'valved casing mounted upon the head, the same being adapted for rotational adjustment and provided'with an annular series of recesses, a clamp secured to the head and embracing the casing and provided with a pin entering one of the recesses to hold the casing in adjusted position,

and a spring pressed pressure bar carried groove therein to receive a rib on a lateral by said means and bearing against the casing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. PHARO. 

